Footwear with unitary insole and strap

ABSTRACT

Unitary insole/strap layers for articles of footwear and methods for making such unitary insole/strap layers are provided. The insole/strap layers are transformed from a two-dimensional patterned base into a three-dimensional insole/strap layer, which simplifies the manufacturing process. The insole/strap layer is then secured to an outsole structure to form an article of footwear, such as a flip flop or sandal.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to footwear with a unitary insole and strap layer.

Description of the Related Art

Conventional articles of footwear known as flip flops and/or sandals include two primary elements, a sole structure and one or more straps that are independent of the sole structure and then secured to the sole structure to hold a foot relative to the sole structure. The one or more straps form one or more arches that receive and position a foot relative to the sole structure. In configurations with two straps, each of the two straps have one end joined together at a center post or thong in the forefoot region of the article of footwear, and the other end secured to the sole structure in the heel region of the article of footwear typically on opposite sides of the article of footwear. The center post or thong is then inserted into an aperture in the sole structure to secure the front of the straps to the sole structure.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides unitary insole/strap layers for articles of footwear, such as flip flops and sandals, and methods for making such unitary insole/strap layers. In one exemplary embodiment, the method for making a unitary insole/strap layer of an article of footwear comprises forming a patterned base having an insole portion and a strap portion. The insole portion includes an aperture in a toe region and the strap portion comprises at least two straps each extending from either a midfoot region or a heel region of the insole portion. Each strap also includes a distal end. The at least two straps are then folded relative to the insole portion and the distal end of each strap is passed through the aperture in the insole portion. The distal end of each strap passed through the aperture is then folded in opposite directions relative to the insole portion and secured to the insole portion.

In another exemplary embodiment, the method for making a unitary insole/strap layer of an article of footwear comprises forming a patterned base having an insole portion and a strap portion. The insole portion comprises a heel portion and a toe portion and the strap portion extends between the heel portion and the toe portion. The toe portion is then wrapped over and around the heel portion until a heel facing edge of the toe portion is aligned with a toe facing edge of the heel portion such that the toe portion and heel portion form the insole portion and the strap portion is arched over the insole portion.

The present disclosure also provides articles of footwear that include the insole/strap layers described above secured to an outsole structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top side perspective view with parts separated of the insole/strap layer being secured to an outsole structure with an adhesive to form the article of footwear according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a top plan view of a two-dimensional patterned base used to form a three-dimensional insole/strap layer of the article of footwear of FIG. 1, illustrating an insole portion and a strap portion in the patterned base;

FIG. 3B is a bottom plan view of the two-dimensional patterned base of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a top side perspective view of a forefoot portion of the patterned base of FIG. 3A, illustrating a process for aligning distal ends of two straps of the patterned base to form a thong of the insole/strap layer by folding the distal end of the straps to form arches and then aligning the distal ends of the straps adjacent to each other;

FIG. 5 is a top side perspective view of a forefoot region of the patterned base of FIG. 4, illustrating the thong passed through an aperture in the insole portion;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the forefoot region of the patterned base of FIG. 5, illustrating the thong passed through the aperture in the insole portion and the distal ends of the straps being folded back in opposite directions to facilitate the securing of the thong to an underside of the insole portion to form the unitary three-dimension insole/strap layer of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the insole/strap layer of FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7 and illustrating an adhesive joining the straps to the underside of the insole potion;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the insole/strap layer of FIG. 6, illustrating a fastener securing the two straps together at a point above the insole portion to increase the size of the thong and further define the arch portions of the straps;

FIG. 9 is a top side perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a two-dimensional patterned base used to form a unitary, three-dimensional insole/strap layer of the article of footwear of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the patterned base of FIG. 10 as it is being folded in accordance with the present exemplary method to form the unitary, three-dimensional insole/strap layer of the article of footwear in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the patterned base of FIG. 10 after being folded in accordance with the present method to form the unitary, three-dimensional insole/strap layer of the article of footwear in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 13 is a top side perspective view with parts separated of the insole/strap layer of FIG. 12 being secured to an outsole structure with an adhesive to form the article of footwear, and illustrating a portion of the strap portion cutout to reveal a seam formed when folding the patterned base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear 10 formed by the method of the present disclosure is shown. For clarity, the following detailed description discusses exemplary embodiments in the form of a flip-flop or sandal. However, it should be noted that the article of footwear could take the form of any article of footwear including, but not limited to, hiking boots, soccer shoes, football shoes, sneakers, rugby shoes, basketball shoes, baseball shoes as well as other kinds of shoes. In other embodiments, the article of footwear could take the form of any of the following including, but not limited to, clogs, mules, espadrilles, getas, jipsins, pattens, roman sandals, saltwater sandals, foam sandals, t-bar sandals as well as any other kind of open shoe or open toed shoe that utilizes one or more straps to receive a foot and hold the foot to a sole structure. As shown in FIG. 1, the article of footwear 10, also referred to simply as the article 10, is intended to be used with a right foot, however, it should be understood that the following discussion may equally apply to a mirror image of article of footwear 10 that is intended for use with a left foot.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, for purposes of reference the article 10 may be divided into a forefoot region 20, a midfoot region 22 and a heel region 24. The forefoot region 20 may be generally associated with the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. The midfoot region 22 may be generally associated with the arch of a foot. The heel region 24 may be generally associated with the heel of a foot, including the calcaneus bone. In addition, the article 10 may include a lateral side 26 and medial side 28. The lateral side 26 and the medial side 28 may be opposing sides of the article 10 and may extend through the forefoot region 20, midfoot region 22 and through the heel region 24. However, it should be understood that the forefoot portion 20, midfoot portion 22 and heel portion 24 are only intended for purposes of description and are not intended to demarcate precise regions of the article 10. Similarly, the lateral side 26 and medial side 28 are intended to represent generally two sides of the article rather than precisely demarcating article 10 into two halves. In addition, the forefoot region 20, midfoot region 22 and heel region 24, as well as lateral side 26 and medial side 28, can also be applied to individual components of the article, such as the sole structure and/or insole/strap layer described herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the article 10 includes an outsole structure 50 and an insole/strap layer 100. In some embodiments, the outsole structure 50 may be configured to provide traction for the article 10. In addition to providing traction, the outsole structure 50 may attenuate ground reaction forces when compressed between the foot and the ground during walking, running or other activities. The configuration of the outsole structure 50 may vary significantly in different embodiments to include a variety of conventional or non-conventional structures. In some cases, the configuration of the outsole structure 50 can be configured according to one or more types of ground surfaces on which outsole structure 50 may be used. Examples of ground surfaces include, but are not limited to, sand, dirt, concrete, asphalt, natural turf and synthetic turf, as well as other surfaces. The outsole structure 50 extends between the foot and the ground when article 10 is worn. The outsole structure 50 can include a top portion 52 that is configured to receive the insole/strap layer 100 and a bottom portion 54 that is opposite the top portion. In the embodiment shown, the outsole structure 50 is an airbag type outsole structure similar to the airbag type outsole described in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/051,161 entitled “Tethered Fluid-Filled Chamber with Multiple Tether Configurations” filed on Feb. 23, 2016 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The airbag type outsole structure 50 includes a top portion 52 that is configured to receive the insole/strap layer 100, a bottom portion 54 that is opposite the top portion, and a middle portion 56 between the top portion and the bottom portion. In this exemplary embodiment, the bottom portion 54 of the outsole structure 50 can be made of a flexible material with a high coefficient of friction that limits wear and yet flexes with movement of a foot. Examples of such materials include rubber such as rubber formulas OGRS-006, BRS-1000, and BASF-9339. The middle portion 56 of the outsole structure 50 includes an inflatable outer shell 58 made of, for example, polyurethane plastic sheets such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sheets and an inner padding 60 made of, for example, 13.5 mm, 10 mm, & 6.5 mm tensile/zoom.

The article 10 also comprises a unitary insole/strap layer 100 made in accordance with the methods disclosed herein. The insole/strap layer 100 is used to provide an additional layer of padding for the foot and/or to hold the foot relative to the sole structure 50. The insole/strap layer 100 includes an insole portion 102 in the general outline of a foot, and a strap portion, e.g., one or more straps. The strap portion is integrally formed into the insole portion 102 and then wrapped around the insole portion 102 to form one or more arches that are sufficient to receive a foot. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, the strap portion comprises two straps; a first strap 110 and a second strap 120. The first strap 110 includes a proximal end 112 that is integrally formed into the insole portion 102 and extends from the lateral side 26 of the insole portion at the midfoot region 22 and/or the heel region 24 of the insole portion. The first strap 110 also comprises a distal end 114. The second strap 120 includes a proximal end 122 that is integrally formed into the insole portion 102 and extends from the medial side 28 of the insole portion at the midfoot region 22 and/or the heel region 24 of the insole portion. The second strap 120 also comprises a distal end 124.

In some embodiments, the insole portion 102 and the strap portion, e.g., the first strap 110 and the second strap 120, may comprise one or more layers of a flexible material sufficient to cushion a foot and fold from a two-dimensional patterned base to the three-dimensional insole/strap layer 100. Examples of such flexible material include, but are not limited to, neoprene, T-Foam, Poron, Flat Knit, Leather, Synthetic Leather, HM Millon LQ, Woven, Circular Knit, OGRS-006, BRS-1000, BASF-9339 TPU RUBBER, RP Printed TPU, Flat Knit TPU yarns, Circular Knit TPU yarns, & Woven TPU yarns. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the insole portion 102 and the strap portion comprise a single layer of neoprene. The shape of the straps 110 and 120 may vary. For example, the straps may be rectangular in shape as shown. Examples of other shapes include, but are not limited to, rounded shapes, square shapes, polygonal shapes, regular shapes, irregular shapes as well as any other shapes.

In addition, while two straps are illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, other embodiments could comprise a single strap, as seen in FIGS. 9-13, or additional straps or other provisions for holding a foot relative to the outsole structure 50. For example, the insole/strap layer 100 could include a heel strap that has one end integrally formed into the insole portion 102 and a second end with a shape that can extend across a heel of a foot and be secured to the underside of the insole portion 102. In still other embodiments, additional straps could have one end integrally formed into the insole portion 102 that can be folded in, for example, the forefoot region 20 and/or the midfoot region 22 for further holding a foot relative to the outsole structure 50.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4-6, the insole/strap layer 100 is made according to the following exemplary process. Initially, a two-dimensional base material is cut or stamped into a patterned base having the insole portion 102 and straps 110 and 120, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The distal ends 114 and 124 of the straps 110 and 120 respectfully are then aligned to form a thong 130 by folding the distal end of each strap to form arches and then aligning the distal ends of the straps so that the second side 110 b of the first strap 110 is adjacent to the second side 120 b of the second strap 120, as shown in FIG. 4. The thong 130 is then passed through an aperture 104 in the insole portion 102. In different embodiments, the shape of the aperture 104 in the insole portion 102 may vary depending upon for example the shape of the straps. Examples of different cross-sectional shapes for the aperture 104 include, but are not limited to, rounded shapes, rectangular shapes, square shapes, polygonal shapes, regular shapes, irregular shapes as well as any other shapes. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the aperture 104 is provided with a substantially rectangular shape.

It is noted that in some embodiments, the thong 130 can be configured to insert between two adjacent toes of a foot. For example, in one embodiment, the aperture 104 in the insole portion 102 can be positioned so that the thong 130 is inserted between the hallux (big toe) and the index toe of a foot. In another embodiment, the aperture 104 in the insole portion 102 can be positioned so that the thong 130 could be inserted between other adjacent toes of a foot. For example, the aperture 104 in the insole portion 102 can be positioned so that the thong 130 could be inserted between the index toe and the middle toe. In still other embodiments, the aperture 104 in the insole portion 102 can be positioned so that the thong 130 could be inserted between the middle toe and the fourth toe, or the aperture 104 in the insole portion 102 can be positioned so that the thong 130 could be inserted between the fourth toe and the little toe.

To secure the thong 130 to the insole portion 102, the distal ends 114 and 124 of the straps 110 and 120 forming the thong 130 that have passed through the aperture 104 are folded back in opposite directions so that top surfaces 110 a and 120 a of the straps 110 and 120 respectively move towards the bottom surface 102 b of the insole portion 102, as shown in FIG. 6. To complete the formation of the insole/strap layer 100, the top surfaces 110 a and 120 a of the distal ends 114 and 124 of the straps 110 and 120 are then secured to the bottom surface 102 b of the insole 102 using, for example, an adhesive 132 as seen in FIG. 7. Other fastener may be used to secure the straps to the insole, such as mechanical fasteners. To change the dimensions, e.g., the length or width, of the thong 130, a fastener 134, such as a high strength thread or rivet, may be used to secured the straps 110 and 120 together at a distance “H” above the top surface 102 a of the insole 102 to increase or decrease the dimensions of the thong, and to further define the arches of the straps, as shown in FIG. 8. The distance “H” can range from between about 15 mm and about 26 mm. Once the insole/strap layer 100 is fabricated, the insole/strap layer 100 can be secured to the outsole structure 50, as shown in FIG. 2, using for example an adhesive 140, such as Loctite Bondace 5100U-2 adhesive or fusing together with heat & pressure by making the strap out of a TPU material so that the outsole & strap are compatible fusible materials, to form the article of footwear 10 of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-13, another exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear according to the present disclosure is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, the article 200 includes an outsole structure 50 and an insole/strap layer 210. The outsole structure 50 is the same as the outsole structure described above and for ease of description is not repeated. The unitary insole/strap layer 210 is made in accordance with the exemplary method described below. The insole/strap layer 210 is used to provide an additional layer of padding for the foot and to hold the foot relative to the sole structure 50. The insole/strap layer 210 according to this exemplary embodiment includes an insole portion 212 in the general outline of a foot, and a strap portion 230. The insole portion 212 comprises two parts; a heel portion 214 and a toe portion 216 which are demarcated by the dotted lines in FIG. 10. The heel portion 214 has a toe facing edge 218 and the toe portion 216 has a heel facing edge 220. The strap portion 230 is integrally formed into the insole portion 212 between the heel portion 214 and a toe portion 216, where the toe portion 216 is wrapped around toward the heel portion 214 to form an arch that is sufficient to receive a foot. The strap portion 230 comprises a first end 232 that is integrally formed into the heel portion 214 of the insole portion 212 and extends from the lateral side 26 of the heel portion at around the midfoot region 22 and/or heel region 24 of the insole portion. The strap portion 230 also comprises a second end 234 that is integrally formed into a toe portion 216 of the insole portion 212 and extends from the medial side 28 of the toe portion at around the midfoot region 22 and/or the heel region 24 of the insole portion. As seen in FIGS. 10 and 13, the strap portion 230 has a heel facing edge 236 that can be aligned with the heel facing edge 220 of the toe portion 216. The strap portion 230 has a toe facing edge 238 that can be aligned with the toe facing edge 218 of the heel portion 214.

In some embodiments, the insole portion 212 and the strap portion 230 may comprise one or more layers of a flexible material sufficient to cushion a foot and fold from a two-dimensional patterned insole to the three-dimensional insole/strap layer 210. Examples of such flexible material include, but are not limited to, neoprene, T-Foam, Poron, Flat Knit, Leather, Synthetic Leather, HM Millon LQ, Woven, Circular Knit, OGRS-006, BRS-1000, BASF-9339 TPU RUBBER, RP Printed TPU, Flat Knit TPU yarns, Circular Knit TPU yarns, & Woven TPU yarns. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the insole portion 212 and the strap portion 230 comprise a single layer of neoprene. The shape of the strap portion 230 may vary. For example, the strap portion may be rectangular in shape as shown. Examples of other shapes include, but are not limited to, rounded shapes, square shapes, polygonal shapes, regular shapes, irregular shapes as well as any other shapes.

Referring to FIGS. 10-12, the insole/strap layer 210 is made according to the following exemplary process. Initially, a two-dimensional base material is cut or stamped into a patterned base having the insole portion 212, which is in two parts 214 and 216 as described above, and a strap portion 230, as shown in FIG. 10. The toe portion 216 of the insole portion 212 is then wrapped over and around the heel portion 214 in the direction of arrow “A” as shown in FIG. 11. Rotation of the toe portion 216 in the direction of arrow “B” is continued until the heel facing edge 220 of the toe portion 216 is aligned adjacent the toe facing edge 218 of the heel portion 214, as shown in FIG. 12, to form the shape of the insole/strap layer 210 of the article 200. It should be noted that the insole/strap layer can be formed by wrapping the toe portion 216 over and around the heel portion 214 instead. To complete the formation of the insole/strap layer 210 and the article 200, the bottom surface of the insole portion 212 of the insole /strap layer 210 is then secured to the outsole structure 50, as shown in FIG. 13, using for example an adhesive 140, such as Loctite Bondace 5100U-2 adhesive or fusing together with heat & pressure by making the strap out of a TPU material so that the outsole & strap are compatible fusible materials, to form the article of footwear 200.

While the illustrated embodiments show straps that are rectangular in shape, the straps can come in a number of different shapes, including but not limited to rounded shapes, rectangular shapes, polygonal shapes, regular shapes, irregular shapes as well as any other shapes. It will be understood that while the foregoing description is for a single shoe for one foot, the same features can be provided in a mirror image shoe for the wearer's other foot. Moreover, while the present disclosure describes various embodiments of an insole/strap layer, it will be understood that various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the disclosure, but merely as embodiments thereof. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the disclosure as defined by the claims appended hereto. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for making a unitary insole/strap layer of an article of footwear, the method comprising: forming a patterned base having an insole portion and a strap portion, wherein the insole portion includes an aperture in a toe region and the strap portion comprises at least two straps each extending from either a midfoot region or a heel region of the insole portion and having a distal end; folding the at least two straps relative to the insole portion and passing the distal end of each strap through the aperture; folding the distal end of each strap passed through the aperture in opposite directions relative to the insole portion; and securing the folded distal end of each strap to the insole portion.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two straps comprise a first strap and a second strap, wherein the first strap has a first side and a second side and the second strap has a first side and a second side, and wherein folding the two straps relative to the insole portion comprises: folding the first strap to form a first arch; folding the second strap to form a second arch; and aligning the distal end of each strap so that the second side of the first strap is adjacent to the second side of the second strap to form a thong.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein folding the distal end of each strap in opposite directions relative to the insole portion comprises: folding the distal end of the first strap passed through the aperture toward the insole portion; and folding the distal end of the second strap passed through the aperture toward the insole portion.
 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein securing the folded distal end of each strap to the insole portion comprises; applying an adhesive to the first side of the folded distal end of the first strap adjacent the insole portion and applying pressure to the distal end of the first strap and the insole portion; and applying an adhesive to the first side of the folded distal end of the second strap adjacent the insole portion and applying pressure to the distal end of the second strap and the insole portion.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein securing the folded distal end of each strap to the insole portion comprises applying an adhesive to the distal end of each strap adjacent the insole portion and applying pressure to the distal end of each strap and the insole portion.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two straps are formed as substantially rectangular shapes.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the patterned base is made from a flexible material.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the flexible material comprises neoprene.
 9. An article of footwear comprising: an outsole structure; and a unitary insole/strap layer secured to the outsole structure, wherein the insole/strap layer comprises an insole portion and a strap portion, wherein the insole portion includes an aperture in a toe region, wherein the strap portion comprises at least two straps each extending from either a midfoot region or a heel region of the insole portion and having a distal end, wherein the at least two straps are folded relative to the insole portion and the distal end of each strap is passed through the aperture and the distal end of each strap passed through the aperture is folded in opposite directions relative to the insole portion and secured to the insole portion.
 10. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the insole/strap layer is made from a flexible material.
 11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the flexible material comprises neoprene.
 12. A method for making a unitary insole/strap layer of an article of footwear, the method comprising: forming a patterned base having an insole portion and a strap portion, wherein the insole portion comprises a heel portion and a toe portion and the strap portion extends between the heel portion and the toe portion; and wrapping the toe portion over and around the heel portion or the heel portion over and around the toe portion until a heel facing edge of the toe portion is aligned with a toe facing edge of the heel portion, such that the toe portion and heel portion form the insole portion and the strap portion is arched over the insole portion.
 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a bottom surface of the insole portion can be secured to an outsole structure of an article of footwear.
 14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the strap portion is substantially rectangular in shape.
 15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the patterned base is made from a flexible material.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the flexible material comprises neoprene.
 17. An article of footwear comprising: an outsole structure; and an insole/strap layer secured to the outsole structure, wherein the insole/strap layer comprises an insole portion and a strap portion, wherein the insole portion comprises a heel portion and a toe portion and the strap portion extends between the heel portion and the toe portion such that the toe portion is wrapped over and around the heel portion or the heel portion is wrapped over and around the toe portion until a heel facing edge of the toe portion is aligned with a toe facing edge of the heel portion, such that the toe portion and heel portion form the insole portion and the strap portion is arched over the insole portion.
 18. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the insole/strap layer is made from a flexible material.
 19. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the flexible material comprises neoprene. 